Sebastian Foti

Qualifications

Fulbright Fellow with successful teaching experience in Physics, Mathematics, and Instructional Computing courses from Grade 7 through Graduate School in the United States and abroad.  Served as a computer consultant in Europe, Africa, Central and Southeast Asia and South America, as well as in the United States.  Along with colleagues at The Athena-Group Inc., currently developing a Middle School Science learning environment that features a series of photorealistic simulations in virtual settings. Expertise in curriculum design, software creation, graduate program development and outreach in multi-cultural settings.

Selected Honors

• Top Online Educator – Surfaquarium.com
• Fulbright Fellowship in Porto, Portugal
  
• Teaching Incentive Performance (T.I.P.) Award, University  of Florida
  
• Dr. B's Numberline. Jim Harbin State Media Award: First  Place,College Original Computer Programming

Professional Experience

• Assistant Professor, Instructional Technology, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida
  
  
• Media Services Director, University of Florida Alliance, Gaincsville, Florida

• Senior Scientist, Educational Technologies, The Athena-Group, Inc. Gainesville, Florida

• Fulbright Fellow  University of Porto,  Porto, Portugal

• Assistant Professor University of Florida,  Gainesville, Florida

• Computer Coordinator/Teacher American Community School, Amman, Jordan

• Vice-President, Operations Microvations, Inc. Auburn, Alabama

• Math Teacher, Air Academy High School, U.S.  Air Force Academy, Colorado

• Math Teacher, American International School of Kabul, Kabul, Afghanistan
  
  
• Peace Corps Volunteer/Professor, Nangrahar Higher Teachers College, Jalalabad, Afghanistan

Education

• Ph.D. Instructional Technology, Curriculum & Instruction University of Florida

• Masters of Science, Science Education, State  University College at Buffalo

• Bachelor of Arts, Mathematics, State University College at  Buffalo

Research Projects

Lord Kelvin: A computer-based science learning system. Principal Investigator: Michael Lewis. Assisting the Athena Group, a Gainesville-based engineering and research company, with the development of an affordable, hands-on, data-centric middle school science technology and learning environment. We will build low cost, real world data acquisition tools, virtual instruments, and software-based simulators to support science activities in class, labs, or at home. Funded by the National Institute of Health.

Enhanced Science Helper K-8 CD ROM, Principal Investigator. Sponsored by Carnegie Corporation of New York, The University of Florida, Office of Overseas Schools, College of Education, Florida Higher Education Consortium. Complete redesign and enhancement of Science Helper CD-ROM listed below. Significant differences include conversion of all materials to text, user-interface redesigned, inclusion of digital video on pedagogy, linkage to the National Science Standards, inclusion of over 1200 NSF sponsored resources not included on first CD. A comprehensive online help system was also developed.

A Net-Centric Undergraduate Course in Adaptive Systems - Co-Principal Investigator with Dr. J.C. Principe, College of Engineering (EIES). Proposal funded by the National Science Foundation to design, develop and implement an interactive course of study for undergraduate engineering students using a sophisticated adaptive system simulator.

Longitudinal Study of Perceived Computer Skill Level of Undergraduates in the College of Education. Principal Investigator. This study investigates the changes in students' perceptions of their level of expertise using the computer. It also is a measure of the effectiveness of our undergraduate course, since data for the study has been collected at the beginning and end of every semester for three years. Preliminary data analysis indicates that students have drastically increased their performance in 25 skill areas not measured by standardized tests.

Effects of Digital Video Guides on User Perception of System Effectiveness, Principal Investigator Research project funded by the College of Education. Project involves a computer analysis of a problem solving scenario using an interactive video guide.

Culture and Technology CD ROM, Principal Investigator: Dr. Mary Budd Rowe. Over 1300 Resources originally funded by the National Science Foundation, including digital video and audio resources, were committed to three CD ROM discs. A powerful search engine allows teachers and curriculum developers to locate lessons by process theme, content theme, keyword, grade level, resource type, book title, and project title. Each lesson was abstracted to provide users with a quick reference to the merits of the lessons. A comprehensive on-line help system was also developed.

Science Helper K-8 CD-ROM, Principal Investigator: Dr. Mary Budd Rowe. Lessons taken from NSF funded projects: COPES, ESS, ESSP, MINNEMAST, SAPA, SCIS, USMES were scanned and committed to CD ROM. The forerunner to Dr. Rowe's later work, this project defined the idea of using thematic search criteria to locate archived lessons. Like Culture and Technology and the Enhanced Science Helper CDs, this project was funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Apple Biology Series - Co-Author. Developed for Apple by The Learning Team, Armonk, N.Y. The Apple Biology Series is a set of investigations designed to give students experience with the tools and methods used in modern scientific research. The investigations required the use of databases, spreadsheets, electronic simulations, hypermedia and interactive exploration, as well as print material and laboratory experiments.

National Science Education Standards Awareness Kits - funded by Annenberg Foundation, this project developed educational materials for educational leaders and teachers. The project developed print and video materials including posters, color overheads, sample presentations, and several videos segments.

Classroom Hydroponics Station - Not all of the technology in Educational Technology is related to computers.  This study placed a stand alone hydroponics station in a 4th grade classroom. Starting with seeds and bean sprouts, students grow plants in their classroom. We designed integrated units in which students observe, measure, and record (in a spreadsheet) the growth and growth patterns of the plants. Students study, for example, countries in which the plants are a cash crop, uses for the plants, and processing techniques.

Selected Presentations and Workshops

2007

“e-Portfolios: The Rush to Judgement”, MassCUE Technology Leadership Symposium, Sturbridge, Mass. November 15-16, 2007.

Invited Lecturer. “e-Portfolios: Documenting the Emergent Self”, Clemson University, First Annual Electronic Portfolio Showcase, Clemson, S.C., November 9, 2007.

Keynote Speaker: “Educational Technology: Is this what we were dreaming?”,

MassCUE Technology Leadership Symposium, Worcester, Mass. February 28, 200

Invited Lecturer. “Teaching Strategies for a ‘Spiky’ Future”, MassCUE Technology Leadership Symposium, Worcester, Mass. February 28, 2007

 “Soft Machines for Learning”, 2007 Instructional Technology Showcase, Jacksonville, Fl. March 30, 2007

2006

Employing an Electronic Learning Environment in a State Science Bowl Competition.   Indiana Principal's Association meeting for Science Bowl Coaches, Indianapolis, IN. September, 6, 2006

Using Simulations in the Middle Schools Science Classroom. Presentation at the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education Conference, Orlando, FL., March, 2006

Using a Simulation Based Learning Environment in Middle School Science.   Co-presenters: Ring, G., Monigle, K., and Tilley, R. Presentation at the Indiana Computer Educator's Conference, Indianapolis, Indiana. January, 2006

2005

Workshop Presenter. “Applying Technology in Science Education.” Jakarta International School, Jakarta, Indonesia, April 4-9, 2005.

Invited Lecturer. “The Rise and Fall of Educational Technology: What have we been doing wrong and how can we fix it?,” EARCOS Teacher’s Conference, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam, March 29-April 2, 2005

Invited Lecturer. “Evaluating Learning Object Libraries.” Grant Review Conference on European Union Funded Learning Objects Projects. Porto Portugal, March 17, 2005

2004

Poster Session, Stevens, A., Lok, B., Johnsen, K., Dickerson, R., Raij, A., Shin, M., Hernandez, J.,
Cendan, J., Foti, S., Ferdig, R., Duerson, M., Cance, W.G., and Lind, D.S., “A Pilot Study to Compare Standardized Patients (SP) to Virtual Patients (VP) in Teaching and Assessing Communication Skills”

Lecturer: "Learning Objects: Closing the gap between the technical and the academic", SSCCII Conference, Amalfi, Italy, January 29-February 2, 2004.

2003

Lecturer. "Pedagogical Support for Instruction Using Technology: The Plight of Faculty Support Offices Sebastian Foti, University of Florida, and Alfredo Soeiro and Maria Lopes Pinto, University of Porto, Portugal, 14th International Conference on Teaching and Learning, Jacksonville, Florida, April 1-5, 2003

2002

Expert Discussion, "Good Practices/Priorities in Higher Education", Prometeus European Conference, Lisbon, Portugal, May 25, 2002.

2001

Lecturer. "The Anatomy of an Educational Technology Seminar", Society for Instructional Technology in Education:SITE 2001 Conference (AACE), March 5-12, 2001,Orlando, Fl.

2000

Invited lecturer. "Effective use of media in the classroom: Improving learning using media." Novas Tecnologias e Pedagogia: Estudo de Casos Universiterios, University of Porto, July 12, 2000, Portugal.

Lecturer. "The Educational Technology Program and the University of Florida", Society for Instructional Technology in Education:SITE 2001 Conference (AACE), March 5-12, 2000, Orlando, Florida

1999

Invited lecturer. "Jumping to the future: The technology paradox," East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools Teacher's Conference, March 29 - April 2, 1999, Bali, Indonesia.

Invited lecturer. "The Evolution of assessment,"  East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools Administrator's Conference. November 6-10, 1999, Bali, Indonesia.

Invited Keynote Address - “From software delivery to communications: The changing role of computers in Education,” Small Schools Conference, November 11-13, 1999, Jakarta, Indonesia.

1998

Invited Lecturer. "Integrating Technology in the Classroom," East Asia Regional Overseas Council Institute, Shekou International School. Shekou, China.

Invited Lecturer. "Advancing the use of technology in the curriculum," American School of Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Selected Publications

Ledbetter, R.,Dwyer, W. & Foti,S., High School Biology Investigations, Apple Computer Education Series, Apple Computer Inc., Cupertino, CA., 1994, 532 pages.

2007 Foti, S. Technology: Did we leave the future behind? Phi Delta Kappan, Vol. 88, No. 9, May. 2007

2007 Foti, S. Educational Technology: Is this what we were dreaming?” Reprinted in Perspectives, Massachusetts Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) June, 2007

2006 Ring, G, and Foti, S. (2006). Using ePortfolios to Facilitate Professional Development Among Preservice Teachers. In A. Jafari and C. Kaufman (Eds.), ePortfolio New Paradigms in Learning Assessment and Career Opportunities (pp. 127 - 161). New York: Columbia University Press. May 26,

2006 Stevens, A., Hernandez, J., Johnsen, K., Dickerson, R., Raijb, A. Harrison, C., DiPietro, M. Allen, B., Ferdig, R. Foti, S., Jackson, J. Shin, M., Cendan, J., Watson, R., Duerson, M., Lok, B., Cohen, M., Wagner, P., &   Lind, S.   The use of virtual patients to teach medical students history taking and communication skills, The American Journal of Surgery, 191, 806-811.

2006 Foti, S. Educational Technology: Is this what we were dreaming? On Cue, Massachussets Computer Using Educators, Spring, 2006

2005  Fischler, I., Lampotang, S., Foti, S. Simulation and the Cognitive Science of Learning: Assessing the Virtual Anesthesia Machine (VAM), conference proceedings of the 3 rd International Conference Partnership for Global Learning (PGL), San Paulo, Brazil, December 1-2, 2005

2005 Ring, G., Foti, S., and Swain, C. (2005). The Electronic Portfolio Project. In E. Bondy and D. Ross (Eds.), Preparing for Inclusive Teaching: Meeting the Challenges of Teacher Education Reform. (pp. 275 - 299). New York: SUNY Press..

2004 Foti, S. "The rise and fall of educational technology: Did we miss the point?", Technical Horizons in Education, in Press.

2003 Neelands, K., Ledbetter, R., Foti, S., Alkazemi, E., "Using DHTML and Java to synergistically combine text-based and interactive instructional materials, Journal of Interactive Instruction Development, Summer, 2003.

2003 Ring, G., Foti, S., & Swain, C, Book chapter: “The Electronic Portfolio Project” . In Preparing for Inclusive Teaching: Meeting the Challenges of Teacher Education Reform at the University of Florida. Bondy. B. & Ross, D. Eds.

2003 Ring, G. & Foti, S, “Addressing Standards at the Program Level With Electronic Portfolios”TechTrends, March-April, 2003, Vol. 47, Number 2

2001 Foti, S. The Anatomy of an Educational Technology Seminar, SITE 2001--Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference, Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education, Maurer & Olson, Editors

2001 Swain, C., Foti, S., Dawson, K. The Educational Technology Program at the University of Florida, SITE 2001--Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference, Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education, Maurer & Olson, Editors

2000 Foti, S.& Ring, G. Portfolios: Beyond Assessment, Teaching & Learning: The Journal of Natural Inquiry. Spring, 2000, Vol. 14, Number 2

1998  Foti, S. & Ring, G. Developing an online help system for a complex search engine, Proceedings of WebNet 98, World Conference of the WWW, Internet, and Intranet, Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education, Maurer & Olson, Editors

1998  Foti, S., Designing and integrating technology rich curricula.  Proceedings from EuroConference on New Technologies for Higher Education,  8 pages, Aveiro, Portugal.  Conference Proceedings

1997  Foti, S.,  Meaningful links: The meaning of hot . Selected Papers from the 8th National Conference on Teaching and Learning, pp. 81-90, Jacksonville, Florida, The Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning

1997    Foti, S., Technology, complexity and education Education Times, College of Education, University of Florida  Issue 1.

1995    Foti, S., The Internet provides the gateway to possibilities. The International Educator, 9 (3), 14

1993    Foti, S. Bracing for the new revolution: Enabling technologies are poised to change the role of the teacher. The International Educator, 7 (4), 2, 16

1991    Foti, S. The road to technological intelligence. The International Educator, 2 (6), 13-1

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